Head Office 2422 Dunwin Drive Mississauga, Ontario Canada L5L 1J9 Tel: (905) 828-1002 Fax: (905) 828-2951 www.beltronics.com This product is subject to one or more of the following patents: United States #4,571,593 #4,625,210 #4,630,054 #4,939,521 #4,952,936 #4,961,074 #5,402,087 #5,446,923 #5,587,916 #5,600,132 Canada #1,187,586 #1,187,602 #1,295,714 #1,295,715 Other Patents Pending ® Safety Warning System L.C.
VECTOR 990 International THE NEXT GENERATION IN DIGITAL PERFORMANCE k Operating Instructions 16 20 64 North American Driver Selectable Features International Driver Selectable Features Digital Voice and Text Messages Model V990 MOTOROLA digitaldna TM
CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for purchasing VECTOR 990 International – the world’s only truly International Radar detector. VECTOR 990 International contains 10 Radar frequencies making it ideal for travel anywhere in the world. VECTOR 990 International contains 16 North American Driver Selectable Features and 20 International Driver Selectable Features, 64 Digital Voice and Text Messages, and the best possible Radar sensitivity in the industry.
VECTOR 990 International provides more user Selectable Features Includes 16detector DriveronSelectable Features than any other the market. Selectable Features allow you to “customize” how alerts will be presented to you. 5 Operating Modes 11 General Features 5 Operating Modes 11 General Selectable Features Normal Mode 1. NORMAL Mode 1. X Band (10.525 GHz) Modifications A lengthy power upMode test ON or GHz) OFF On/Off sequence; text messages identify X Band (10.525 Quick-Start 2. K Band (24.
Table of Contents Profile of Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kPower-Up Test Sequence/Start-Up Mode . . . . kTutorial Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kSet and Forget Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kReset to Factory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kDRK (Bright/Dim/Dark) Button . . . . . . . . . . . kAUD (Auto-Mute/Volume Control) Button . . .
Profile of Features 6 7 1 8 9 5 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 4 4 3 PWR (Power/Start-Up Mode) Button: pressing and holding PWR will turn the unit on. Continuing to press the PWR button will scroll through the five start-up mode options: NORMAL, MODS (Modifications), Q-START (Quick Start), TECH MODE, VOLTAGE METER MODE plus TUTORIAL MODE. Text Message Display: communicates all mode selections (i.e.
. Laser Optical Sensors: collect Laser signals from in 8. Audio Alert Speaker: all audible alerts and Digital 9. Voice Messages are emitted from this location. Power Jack: using the straight or coiled cord, VECTOR 990 operates in any vehicle with a 13.8 volt DC negative ground system (10.5 volt to 15.5 volt range). front and behind.
k Q-START (Quick-Start Mode) Unit will bypass the power up test sequence and will display the last selected traveling mode:“A u t o S c a n ” (factory default) “H i g h w a y ”, “Ci t y X” or “Ci t y ALL”. Q-Start is recommended when you are comfortable with the detector and do not require a rundown of sample messages. Unit is ready for operation and will display Radar, Laser and SWS™ messages when signals are detected.
Whichever Operating mode you select, VECTOR 990 will be in standby mode and ready to detect traffic Radar, Laser and SWS™ signals. The display will show “A u t o S c a n ” (factory pre-set which is suitable for ALL driving conditions, unless you change this to “H i g h w a y ”, “Ci t y X”, or “Ci t y ALL” (see page 9). ™ k TUTORIAL MODE The Tutorial Mode allows you to become more familiar with all audible and visual alerts.
kSet and Forget Memory Any time VECTOR 990 is turned off or unplugged from the cigarette lighter socket, all feature settings you have selected are retained in the unit’s memory. Set and Forget Memory eliminates the need to reset your preferred feature settings each time your unit is turned off and then back on. kReset to Factory Settings You can reset your unit to factory settings (North American Mode) for Start-Up mode, volume, DRK, AUD, CTY and General Selectable Features.
k AUD (Auto-Mute/Volume Control) Button Manual Muting of Audio Alerts (Radar and SWS™) k Whether Auto-Mute is selected on or off in Selectable Features, the audio alerts can be completely muted by pressing the AUD button during an alert. The display will briefly show “QU I E T ”. No audible alert will be heard as long as the signal is present. The unit will remain in manual mute mode for approximately 12 seconds from the last received alert.
signals which are shared with traffic radar on X and K Bands such as door openers and security systems. AutoScan™ is a “no-fuss” means of achieving optimum signal selectivity. 10 k Highway Mode: Select Highway mode when traveling in rural or highway environments for maximum X, K, Super Wideband Ka sensitivity. k City X Mode: Select City X mode when traveling in moderate city conditions of travel, and some level of X band filtration is required.
Selectable Features - North American Mode There are a total of 16 Driver Selectable Features in North American Mode (NA m e r i c a ) which may be selected depending upon your driving environment and preference. X Band (10.525 GHz) ON/OFF K Band (24.150 GHz) ON/OFF Super Wideband Ka (33.4 – 36.
4 – AccuSweep™ AccuSweep™ provides you the option of scanning just a segment of the Super Wideband Ka bandwidth. AccuSweep™ accurately pinpoints the most prevalent North American Ka radar frequencies in use, without annoying harmonic falsing. Ideal for fast, accurate Ka band detection. k Feature Note: If you choose Super Wideband Ka band OFF and AccuSweep™ OFF, the next prompt will read: “NO Ka o n ”. This is a reminder that you have turned OFF all Ka band detection.
k Feature 6 – Radar/Laser Digital Voice Prompts With “V o i c e o n ”, unit will provide Digital Voice prompts followed by “beeps” when X/K/Ka and Laser signals are detected. With “V o i c e o f f ”, unit will sound unique audio tones only. Factory setting is “V o i c e o n ”. k Feature 7 – Safety Warning System® (SWS™) (NAmerican Mode only) With “SWS o n ”, unit will provide a message when signals from SWS™ transmitters are detected. Factory setting is “SW S o n ”.
k Travel Mode – What is it? VECTOR 990 International is designed to operate anywhere you travel. Because different countries use different frequencies to monitor traffic, BELTRONICS has designed the ONLY detector capable of detecting ALL traffic radar frequencies used worldwide. All Radar bands, whether used in North America or Europe fall under the X, K or Ka band classification. The difference is the operating frequency, measured in Gigahertz, which the X, K or Ka Band signal is transmitted.
This allows you to turn OFF any frequency which you know to be generating false alerts. (Note: You can also turn off a frequency if you know it is NOT used in your area of travel.) For example, because other devices are shared with traffic Radar (see Typical False Alerts, page 23), you may notice a constant X band signal (9.9 GHz) alarming in a specific area you know to be a false alert. By displaying the actual frequency, you are then able to determine if you want to turn that particular frequency OFF.
• SWS™ feature and SWS™ Voice/Tone do not appear since the SWS™ feature is not available in Europe. • AccuSweep™ is replaced with 3 individual Ka Narrow frequencies which you can choose ON or OFF, depending upon driving environment. k Entering Selectable Features Mode 1. With the unit OFF, press and hold the PWR and CTY buttons simultaneously. The word “FEATURES” will appear in the display, followed by the status of the first Selectable Feature. 2.
To achieve optimum performance, regardless of which mounting position you choose, follow the basic steps on the following page. 1. Consider occupant safety when selecting a mounting location. Choose a location where the unit will not be hazardous in case of an accident. 2. For optimum detection, position your unit with a clear, unobstructed view of the road from the front and rear. 3. Do not allow the unit to make contact with the windshield. This will eliminate unnecessary vibration. 4.
k 4. Slide the detector onto the mounting bracket until it “locks” into place. 5. To adjust the angle of the bracket, squeeze and hold the circular “buttons” on the sides of the bracket; this will allow you to angle the bracket to your windshield. Note—some vehicles have a plastic coating on the inside of the windshield designed to protect occupants in case of an accident. Use of the windshield bracket on this type of windshield can permanently mark the surface.
Understanding Radar, Laser and SWS™ k Three Radar Frequencies Three microwave frequencies have been allocated by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and are used for traffic Radar. They are: •X Band: 10.525 GHz •K Band: 24.150GHz •Super Wideband Ka: 33.4 GHz to 36.0 GHz Both X and K bands are well known to motorists who have traveled with Radar detectors. Introduced first was X band Radar which became common during the 1960s.
k Safety Warning System® (SWS™)—What is it? The Radio Association Defending Airwave Rights, Inc. (R.A.D.A.R.) conceived and developed the Safety Warning System®. The concept behind this system is to warn motorists of potential road hazards by employing Safety Warning System® transmitters in areas such as construction zones, accident sites and detours. These SWS™ transmitters operate within the 24 GHz portion of the K band frequency, and broadcast uniquely coded signals that are detected by your unit.
alert coupled with simultaneous identification of the Radar band (X, K or Ka) and signal strength in the Text Display. The number of bar graph segments displayed depends upon the strength of the signal received. As the strength of the Radar signal increases, the audio alert becomes more rapid and the bar graph will display the maximum number of five segments indicating maximum signal strength.
Radar signals travel in a straight line and do not pass through earth. Consequently, police Radar aimed at the crest of a steep hill cannot be received until you are at or near the top. Warning time may be minimal (as in situation #2) since a strong signal is not present until you are near the crest of the hill. At this point, you may be nearly in the police officer’s line of sight. When cresting a hill, a weak initial alert followed very quickly by a full alert is typical.
k Typical False Alert (Radar) Ideally, a Radar detector should only alert in the presence of police Radar. However, because other devices share X band with police Radar, false alerts sometimes occur. Generally, a false signal produces only a short audio and visual alert. Since they are most often weak, it is possible to drive out of the signal’s range very quickly and receive only a brief alert.
k Safety Warning System® (SWS™) Alerts (North American Mode only) With the Safety Warning System® feature ON and an SWS™ transmitter in use, your detector will provide a unique, 2 second SWS™ tone coupled with a Safety Warning System® category word (i.e. “Ha z d Z o n e ” indicating Highway Hazard Zone Advisory) to quickly orient you to the type of situation ahead. This introductory message is followed by a specific Text Message (i.e.
Abbreviated SWS™ Category Words “H w y Wo r k ” confirms Highway Construction/Maintenance (messages 1–11) “Ha z d Zo n e ” confirms Highway Hazard Zone Advisory (messages 13–31) “We a t h e r ” confirms Weather Related Hazards (messages 33–41) “Tr a v In fo ” confirms Travel Information/Convenience (messages 43–59) “Mo v i n g ” confirms Emergency/Slow Moving Vehicles in transit (messages 61–64) “Me s s a g e Un k n o w n ” confirms incomplete or unknown messages Note—for a complete listing of th
Performance Verification k Conditions that Affect Radar Alerts If you feel your unit is not alerting properly, keep in mind that there are many conditions that influence the intensity or duration of an alert: 1. The police are using instant-on/pulsed Radar, in which case no signal is transmitted until visual contact has been made with your vehicle. For detection of this signal, you must rely on reflected signals from Radar directed at traffic traveling ahead of you. 2.
Troubleshooting Solutions for Common Problems If your unit is not operating properly, please refer to the outline below.
If you experience a problem with your unit that is not covered in this outline please call, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am–4:30 pm EST, for assistance: 1-800-341-2288 USA 1-800-268-3994 CANADA Limited Warranty 2-Year Warranty–VECTOR 990 1. This warranty covers all defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty does not apply if the unit has been subject to physical abuse, improper installation, modification, or if the housing or serial number of the unit has been removed. 2.
6. BELTRONICS will in no event be liable for any consequential, incidental, indirect or special damages (including, but not limited to, lost profits) arising out of or in connection with the use, misuse, or function of the unit. Some states do not allow the exclusion of limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. 7. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. 8.
k Post-Warranty Service The following arrangements apply if the warranty period has expired or you are not able to provide a copy of your dated sales receipt indicating purchasewithin the last twenty-four months. 1. To return your unit, follow steps 1 through 3 (b) under Warranty Service. 2. Enclose with your unit $85 US or $115 Canadian to cover inspection and postage return. Prices subject to change without notice.
